Like many three-year-olds, Dr Sam dreamed of being a vet, a passion that has never wavered. He doesn’t just work as a ‘vet’, but embodies the role in his everyday life.
Dr Sam graduated with Merit from the University of Sydney in 2011, earning a Bachelor of Veterinary Science. In 2013, he became a Member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, UK.
After a brief stint as an associate in Matraville, Dr Sam identified a gap in the veterinary experience offered to families. Driven by a vision for a different approach to veterinary care, he founded Southern Cross Veterinary Clinic in Sydney in 2013. He brought with him as his Head Nurse, Reichainne Missiluti.
The values of the clinic centre around continually investing in the newest technology, the belief in the importance of hugging and healing in equal measure and treating the families who choose the clinic to look after their pets, as well as the staff who choose to work there with respect and generosity.
Shortly after, Dr Sam launched Project HoPe – an ACNC registered Charity that provides free surgical, and medical services to the City’s homeless population’s companion animals as well as crisis accommodation for these pets, to enable their owners to seek assistance themselves – for example if they need a hospital stay themselves.
In 2017, he launched a 2nd location of Southern Cross Vet in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney and 2018, acquired a 3rd hospital in Surry Hills.
Professionally, his passions are for minimally invasive surgery, which led him to introduce NSW’s first and only single port keyhole surgery service to animals as well as a less invasive approach to the traditional surgery helping brachycephalic (short-nosed) breeds breathe better (BOAS)
Committed to public service, Dr Sam serves on the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) Australian Committee for Chemicals Scheduling, which ensures the safe scheduling of chemicals that the Australian public has access to.
Currently, Dr Sam is enrolled in the Australian Veterinary Association’s new Chartered Veterinary Practitioner accreditation and aims to graduate in 2025 with the first cohort.
Dr Sam’s interests are outdoor cooking for others and exploring new parts of his environment with his three corgi dogs and loves his red wine!
